Carbohydrate composition of the marine microalgae, Tetraselmis suecica was characterized following acidic and enzymatic hydrolysis. Monitoring intracellular starch as a function of cultivation time at varying nitrate concentrations showed a maximum cellular starch content of 45% of dry biomass when grown under nitrate depleted conditions. Characterization of the cell wall methanolysates using GC/MS showed that the monosaccharide composition did not change in response to the nitrate concentration and consisted of 54% 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo), 17% 3-deoxy-lyxo-2-heptulosaric acid (Dha), 21% galacturonic acid and 6% galactose. Presence of up to 5% Kdo in the dry weight of T. suecica established in this study demonstrates the potential of the cell wall of this species as a feedstock for Kdo, a sugar that is difficult to obtain by chemical synthesis and that has applications in medicinal chemistry. (c) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.